Interview with Patrick Michaely, Director of the Musée national d’histoire naturelle Luxembourg.
During the latest CETAF Directors’ Summit, held last November in Berlin, we had the opportunity to speak with several leading directors of natural history institutions from across Europe. Their insights highlighted both the challenges and opportunities facing museums today, from safeguarding collections and strengthening collaboration to navigating an increasingly complex and uncertain global context.
In this edition of Faces of Taxonomy, we speak with Patrick Michaely, Director of the Musée national d’histoire naturelle Luxembourg, about the importance of working together to connect collections and data across institutions, and the role of museums as stable and trusted actors in times of societal and environmental change. He also reflects on the growing need to protect digital infrastructures, support the people behind scientific work, and ensure that knowledge is accessible and usable beyond academic contexts.
The 2nd CETAF Directors’ Summit, organised with the support of the Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin / Freie Universität Berlin, provided a valuable platform to exchange ideas on shared challenges, including funding pressures, political shifts, and the need to counter misinformation. It also reinforced the importance of collaboration across institutions of all sizes to strengthen the collective impact of the natural history community.
Patrick Michaely emphasised the role of museums as bridges between science and society, highlighting how exhibitions and outreach activities can empower citizens to engage with biodiversity challenges. He also underlined the importance of networks such as CETAF in fostering cooperation, sharing solutions, and ensuring that institutions do not face these challenges alone.
According to you, Patrick, what are the biggest challenges that natural history museums and research institutions are facing nowadays?
Regarding the missions we have, I think we have to look after our collections. And seeing that there are so many museums that can’t really work together to bring all these collections together, even online, is quite a big challenge. And also to find ways how to do this.
n this sense, a consortium like CETAF is a fantastic occasion to see where the problems are and where the solutions are. How we can bring together what we have, the knowledge we are gaining on our collections, what we are doing about it, the data we are gaining, and how we can bring this all together. That’s, I think, the major challenge.
Then of course, we also discussed things like cybersecurity. Some museums have been confronted with cyber attacks. And that’s a problem because behind it, it’s not only the loss of data. There are people working on something, and if they lose it, it’s not only a loss of data or material, it’s also a question of well-being. There are people behind all this knowledge and data, and we have to think about them as well.
Beyond cybersecurity, what other challenges are institutions facing, such as funding, political changes, or even fake news?
We are living in very unstable times, in this poly-crisis period. And I think we, as natural history museums, have the capability to be really stable institutions, because we have been focused for decades, even centuries, on the same things. And that’s our force.
Of course, we can be challenged by outside people, associations or movements. But what was said during this meeting is that working together, being associated with other museums, is very important. And I think it’s true and key.
The meeting today was really encouraging, because we could see that we are not alone. Many museums, researchers and directors are confronted with the same situations. And to see that, if we are together, we are a real force.
“As members of CETAF, we support each other and are not alone in facing today’s challenges.”
How can natural history museums act as a bridge between science and society?
I think natural history museums, with their educational and sensibilization role, are very important to bring science closer to society. This is one of our core responsibilities.
We are very motivated to show people how they can contribute themselves to science, not only to show things, but to show how they can act. When people come to the museum, we have ways to show them how they can take action themselves.
For example, in our museum we currently have an exhibition on biodiversity in the city. It presents simple actions that people can take at home or in their gardens to support biodiversity. These kinds of initiatives help make science more accessible and actionable.
For example, in our museum, we currently have an exhibition about biodiversity in the city. It presents simple actions that people can take at home or in their gardens to support biodiversity.
Museums are trusted institutions, and this helps us connect scientific knowledge with society in an easy way.
Finally, Patrick, what should be the key priorities for the CETAF community in the coming years?
The priorities for the CETAF community in the coming years are to continue bringing people together, and to be a consortium where museums can talk and find solutions to their problems.
This is important for all museums: big, medium and small. That’s what we need, to build something together and to be a partner for all members.
his is our main objective: to support each other, and to remember that, as members of CETAF, we are not alone in facing these issues.
“Working together is essential. If we are connected as institutions, we are not only stronger, we become a real force.”